Investigation of Zoonotic Helminths in Children Playgrounds in Sivas Province

Öz

Human toxocariasis is categorized as a neglected parasitic disease by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is more prevalent in children than adults because children are more frequently exposed to the eggs of T. canis and T. cati which are the etiological agents of human toxocariasis during playing outside. The aim of this study was to research the presence of helminth species in children playgrounds in Sivas using microscopic and molecular techniques. For this purpose, 84 sand samples were taken from 25 children playgrounds from July 2020 to July 2021. Moreover, 68 stool samples that belong to cats, dogs, and red foxes were collected from and around children playgrounds. Toxocara spp. eggs were found in five sand samples. According to PCR results, T. cati was detected in three sand samples while T. canis was found in two sand samples. Toxascaris leonina was detected only in one dog stool sample, whereas no parasite species were found in cat stool samples. The eggs of Toxocara canis, Acanthocephala, T. leonina, Capillaria spp. were found in red fox stool samples. To the best of our knowledge, children playgrounds were researched for the first time in terms of zoonotic helminth species in Sivas.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Children Playgrounds
• Helminth
• PCR
• Sivas
• Zoonosis

Sivas İlinde Çocuk Oyun Parklarında Zoonoz Helmint Türlerinin Araştırılması

Öz

İnsan toxocariasisi ABD Hastalık Kontrol ve Önleme Merkezi (CDC) tarafından göz ardı edilen önemli paraziter hastalıklar sınıfında sınıflandırılmaktadır. Hastalık çocuklarda erişkinlere oranla daha yaygındır. Çünkü çocuklar ev dışında oynamaları esnasında insan toxocariasis etkenleri olan T. canis ve T. cati yumurtalarına daha fazla maruz kalmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı Sivas ilindeki çocuk oyun parklarında zoonoz helmint türlerinin durumunun mikroskobik ve moleküler yöntemlerle araştırılmasıdır. Bu amaçla Temmuz 2020 ve Temmuz 2021 tarihleri arasında 25 çocuk oyun parkından 84 kum numunesi alınmıştır. Ayrıca çocuk oyun parklarının içinden ve etrafından kedi, köpek ve kızıl tilkiye ait 68 dışkı numunesi de toplanmıştır. Çalışmada kum örneklerinin beşinde Toxocara spp. yumurtası tespit edilmiştir. Mikroskobik incelemede Toxocara spp. yönünden pozitif bulunan üç kum örneğindeki yumurtaların T. cati’ye, ikisinin ise T. canis’e ait olduğu PZR ile ortaya konulmuştur. Çalışmada toplanan dışkı örneklerinden; köpeklere ait bir dışkı örneğinde Toxascaris leonina yumurtası tespit edilmişken, kızıl tilki dışkılarında ise T. canis, Acanthocephala, T. leonina ve Capillaria spp. yumurtaları belirlenmiştir. Kedi dışkı örneklerinde ise herhangi bir parazit yumurtasına rastlanmamıştır. Bu çalışma ile bildiğimiz kadarıyla Sivas ilindeki çocuk oyun parkları zoonotik helmint türleri bakımından ilk kez incelenmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çocuk Oyun Parkı
• Helminth,
• PZR
• Sivas
• Zoonoz

Kaynakça

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